By Robert Fennell

October 22, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

Can gambling be a hobby, or is it just an addiction? Continue reading to find out if gambling is a hobby and how to identify that it turned into an addiction.

There is no denying that gambling is incredibly attractive in terms of the fun and excitement it provides. It is also quite tempting due to the chance of winning a big payout. Many people gamble for different reasons; it can be a source of entertainment for some, it can be a source of income for some, and some gamble because they find it difficult to give up. It is vital to know why you are gambling to know if it is a hobby or it has become an addiction.

Gambling as a Hobby

Gambling can be fun – just know your limits and have fun.

A hobby can be described as any activity a person does and enjoys in their spare time for fun. It is a hobby as long as they derive pleasure from doing it. Activities like gardening, cycling, watching movies, watching sports games, racing, singing, and many more are hobbies that many people enjoy doing.

And for some, gambling is a hobby that they enjoy. They take different gambling activities like placing bets on sports and casino games as a source of entertainment. These people tend to visit casinos or claim bonuses like the 1 deposit casinos bonuses online to play games for fun. In some circles, there is a stereotype that gambling is a bad habit and that most people who engage in it are addicted. However, just because a person enjoys the activity a lot doesn’t necessarily mean that they are addicted to it. As long as you have strict schedules and plans for your gaming activities and stick to it religiously, it won’t become a compulsive habit, and it would be difficult for you to get addicted to it.

Gambling as an Addiction

Addiction happens when an activity has become a habit of an individual, making it extremely difficult to stop or give it up. It is normal to lose money when playing casino games, but it now becomes an addiction when you deviate from your established pattern, start chasing losses and find it difficult to stop. When gambling stops being fun and starts to become an obsession for you, you should know that you are starting to get addicted.

All in – seldom a good place to be. Whatever the limit it – it isn’t being observed

Gambling addicts get obsessed with chasing the high they get from anticipating their bets’ results and end up in the cycle of losing and trying to recover it by continuing to gamble. Eventually, such people’s activities trigger a lot of consequences, which gets them into financial trouble and affects their mental health and their relationships with their friends and family.

Signs to Recognize Potential Gambling Addictive Behaviors

There are various signs and behavioural patterns that you can use to know if you are getting addicted and need to either take a step back or stop. Some of the signs to know that gambling activity is becoming an addiction:

• 

  The downside of a hobby that got out of control.

  You can’t stop – People who gamble for fun can limit it. But if you are unable to stop and constantly want to continue playing, you are tilting on the addiction side.

• When gambling becomes a priority for you and takes over more important things.
• When you start betting with the money you cannot afford to lose. People who gamble as a hobby always have a strict budget to gamble and always stick to it. But when you exhaust your budgeted money and start dipping your hands into money budgeted for other things and your savings, it is becoming problem gambling.
• When you start taking gambling as an escape from your problems instead of just playing for fun, there is a problem.
• You start gambling with more and more money in order to recover the losses you make.
• You go to the extreme to get funds for your gambling activities.
• When gaming starts affecting your emotions and mental health negatively.

Ways to Avoid Turning Your Gambling Hobby into an Addiction

• Set Limits

• Avoid temptations

• Take frequent breaks

• Don’t let gambling be a coping mechanism for boredom or problems that you are facing

• Find another hobby you can enjoy

How to Try and Treat Gambling Addiction

• Admit you have a problem
• Get support
• Avoid any avenues and environments that will lead to it
• Replace gambling with other positive activities or hobbies
• Ask for help

There is a thin line between a hobby and an addiction because it is often our hobbies that usually end up turning into addictions. Being addicted to gambling doesn’t happen in a day, so it is important to monitor yourself to know when your habit is getting out of control, and your hobby starts to become an obsession.